


Kids These Days

by GnohomasWitness



Series: Adam's Early Days [2]
Category: Runescape (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-07 23:44:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16418330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GnohomasWitness/pseuds/GnohomasWitness
Summary: Adam Neeson is a member of the Champions' Guild who is trying to make a new life for himself. Unfortunately, it seems that his old life is still haunting him. It's hard to find work when you have a criminal record.





	Kids These Days

It was nearly 6:00PM by the time Adam headed back to the guild after a long day of carrying lumber. Adam had only just made it to the apothecary for more cat formula before closing. He was feeling completely exhausted from the work. His long shaggy hair that he had tied back was beginning to frizz and escape its elastic shackles. 

Tanner was too young and small to be left alone at home, so Adam had to construct a snuggly for him to fit in out of a sock and some straps. The dig site workers were a bit confused as to why the man they hired had a demonic kitten strapped to his chest, but they didn’t stop him.

Adam was at the entrance to Varrock on his way to the Champions’ Guild when he saw Valaine, the Champions’ Guild clerk, standing by the entrance to the city. She was standing next to three large crates full of documents and looked like she needed help. Adam approached her, he still felt bad for scaring her the previous night and wanted to make things right.

“Howdy, Miss Valaine!” Adam said with a smile.

Valaine jumped. “Oh, it’s you!” She said worriedly. Valaine started backing toward the wall, away from the man. Then she stopped. “Is that a hellcat strapped to your chest?” She asked, her head tilted in confusion.

“So I’m told! His name’s Tanner” Adam replied, grinning. He took Tanner off the snuggly and cuddled him. “I found him in an alleyway last night and the shelter wouldn’t take him, so I adopted him.”

Valaine stepped closer to Adam to see the kitten snuggle into Adam’s arms. Valaine smiled. “You’re crazy!” She said jokingly.

“Well it’s not the smartest thing financially for me to get a cat, but I can make it work. He needs me, and I need him.” Adam replied, holding Tanner out for Valaine to pet.

“No, I mean, it’s a hellcat! Aren’t they supposed to be evil?” Valaine asked as she pet the tiny kitten.

“The shelter said that too, I think it’s a load of shit! I love cats.” Adam continued. “I had always wanted one, but I never got to have one, for well, obvious reasons. But now I finally have one! This little guy has really turned my mood around too.”

Valaine smirked.

Adam looked at the crates stacked beside Valaine. “Are these crates coming or going?” He asked Valaine.

“I’ve got to carry them to the guild.” Valaine said.

Adam eyed them up. “I can help you with that if you want, Miss Valaine. I’m headed that way.”

Valaine hesitated. “I…”

“Here, you hold Tanner and I’ll grab the crates.”

Before Valaine could respond, Adam had passed her the kitten and he picked up the crates.

“You got them?” Valaine asked, her head tilted to the side.

“Of course!” Adam replied. “Come on!”

Tanner snuggled into Valaine’s arms while Valaine walked beside Adam down the road to the guild.

“You seem to do a lot of work for the guild, Miss Valaine.” Adam said, straining as he walked with the crates.

Valaine chuckled. “If I didn’t the whole thing would fall apart. Nobody else does any work around here! It’s just a frat house for thugs nowadays.” This was clearly something that had been bothering her about the guild for a while.

“The champion’s guild is the first step to becoming a real adventurer. People seemed to take that a little more seriously when I joined.” Adam replied. 

“Yeah I looked at your record again after you left last night.” Valaine replied. “Seems like you were a real pioneer in being a piece of shit.” She said, only half joking. The Bull had been the first in a series of adventurers who ultimately transformed the title of champion into hired killer.

Adam grunted. “I guess I deserve that… I like to think it’s behind me now. Maybe it’s time for the guild to do the same.”

“There’s some really young people who are champions now, young people who can be paid to kill or maim or whatever. It’s the most popular job these days, being paid to serve in some gang war or beat up a rival farmer. And every time someone gets in trouble with the law it means another pile of paperwork for me.” Valaine complained. “The guildmaster doesn’t give a damn about it. The handsome prick just hangs out in the hall as though it’s some kind of non-stop party.”

Adam sighed from behind the stack of crates.  
Valaine shrugged. “You know, if you want to better yourself or clear your name, I suggest you move on to the next guild. Leave all this crap behind you and take the next step in your career!” Proclaimed Valaine.

“The Heroes’ Guild?” Adam thought out loud.

“That’s right.” Said Valaine. “Also, that pardon letter from Sir Amik will be a lot more useful in Asgarnia than it is here, you’d probably be able to get your criminal record written off entirely in the Heroes’ Guild.”

“You think I’m good enough?” Adam asked.

“No idea, the guild will decide that, there’s a written test that you have to study for and then a practical test where they send you on a quest with a partner.” Valaine explained. “You have to find your own partner though. You got any friends?”

Adam tried to shake his head but realised he couldn’t due to the crates pressed up against his face. “No.” He said. “Nobody who’s an adventurer at least.”

“Try putting a job offer on the board, I’m just there’s at least one other person who would join you.” Valaine suggested.

The two of them arrived at the entrance to the Champion’s Guild. Valaine held the door open for Adam as he walked inside with his stack of crates and set them down beside Valaine’s desk.

“Thank you very much, sir!” Valaine said with a smile.

“Always happy to help, Miss Valaine.” Adam replied before turning toward the quest board.

The large quest board of the Champions’ Guild took up nearly the whole wall beside the door. Dozens of quests appeared and disappeared throughout the day. Even at this hour in the evening, there was still much to choose from. Some quests were for that day but hadn’t been taken, others were placed in advance for the next day. Adam walked up to a small table in front of the board and grabbed a pen and sheet of blank paper. He bit his tongue as he tried to come up with what to write. Adam strained as he tried to remember how to spell certain words. It was the monks of Entrana who taught him how to read and write, which wasn’t that long ago. Lucky for him, it seemed that the paper was enchanted. The ink would bend and transform after being written to the paper, anything that was spelled wrong would fix itself almost instantly.

_Heroes’ Guild practical exam partner needed. Contact Adam Neeson if interested. No deadline, offer will close when the job is complete. Partner must be capable of passing both the written and practical exam. Reward:_

Adam paused, he had nothing to offer in terms of a reward. However, being able to join the Heroes’ Guild was a reward in and of itself, at least as far as Adam was concerned. He groaned as he continued to write.

“…Reward: The ability to leave this shithole and do some real work.”

Immediately after Adam took the pen away from the page, the ink spelling the word “shithole” transformed into the word “place”. Adam rolled his eyes as “and do some real work” was removed entirely. Good enough… he thought as he tacked the job offer to the board. _Now, I’ve just gotta wait._

Adam sat at a small booth in the corner of the champions’ guild dining hall. He had no interest in talking to the other champions. Most of them had no idea who he was and those who did certainly had no interest in striking up a conversation with him. Adam grimaced, finding a partner would be harder than he thought, even with his job offer on the board.

Adam spent the last of that day’s wages on dinner for that night. He had no food at home and he was hungry, he figured he might as well eat at the guild. Adam ordered a pound of spicy chicken wings and a small glass of whiskey on the rocks. Adam unstrapped Tanner from the snuggly on his chest and placed him on the table. 

The wings were breaded and came with a platter of carrots and celery. Adam quickly gobbled the celery first. 

Tanner the tiny kitten crawled over to Adam’s dinner and sniffed at it. He looked up at Adam and peeped.

Adam smiled at his kitten. “You’ve already eaten!” He said playfully. “Besides, you’re not supposed to eat solid food yet.”

Tanner pouted and lay down beside a small lamp on the center of the table.

The champion’s guild was packed and bustling with activity, which wasn’t unusual for that time of night. Fledgling adventurers of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds would gather here to get drunk, sing songs and brag about the things they had punched that day. Some of them were still using the wooden shield they had gotten from tutorial island. Others were clearly just hired thugs who called themselves adventurers to skirt around the law. Many people also joined the guild just because it was cool to be called an adventurer, to get to hang out in a place like this. These types of people would typically get bored eventually and go back to working in the city once they got older. 

Adam shook his head as he continued eating his wings. He couldn’t judge anyone here. At least the people with wooden shields had taken the job seriously enough to actually attend tutorial island. And the thugs, well, he used to be one of them, Adam couldn’t exactly claim the higher ground on that one either. The large, bearded and ponytailed green man watched his kitten snuggle into the tablecloth beside the lamp while he finished his dinner. His big hands awkwardly fumbled with the tiny wings as he carefully ate them, trying to avoid getting anything stuck in his shaggy beard. 

There was a holler from the crowd of champions as a young man with a wooden shield strapped to his back spun some cute witch around as he leaned her back and kissed her. The man didn’t look a day older than seventeen and the girl he was kissing looked even younger, although quite well endowed for her age. Adam had a hunch as to what the young witch’s first spell to master had been, and it wasn’t air strike. The two then walked upstairs together to a thunderous applause from the guild members. The young man patted the witch’s behind to get her to hurry up. She giggled and kept up the pace.

Adam smirked and took a sip of whiskey. He was always jealous of young people. Adam’s late teens were a bit less romantic than those of most young adventurers. Being raised by mean, violent goblins was hardly something to be nostalgic about. Adam wiped his hands on the wet cloth he had been given along with his wings and took another sip of whiskey as memories of the goblins filled his mind. The thought of Mudknuckles made Adam squeeze the wet cloth hard. He gritted his teeth. The water from the cloth dripped from between his fingers and onto his lap.

Tanner noticed the distress and peeped at Adam.

The sight of the loving kitten looking up at Adam caused the rage to fade away. He wouldn’t dare lose his temper anymore, especially around the kitten. Adam let out a loving sigh as he dried his hands and pet the kitten. That life is over now, this is your life now, don’t live in the past. Adam told himself. He set his plate of bones aside for the waitress to pick up.

Tanner got up and waddled over to a tiny booklet on the table. He batted it with one paw. 

“Oh, good idea.” Adam said to the hellcat as he took another sip of his drink. He pulled the booklet over to him.

The booklet looked like a small day-at-a-time calendar and had a spiral bind, it was a copy of the quest board. The booklet was magic, just like the paper on the board. It would update itself to match, it could also be used to apply for the job right then and there. Or in Adam’s case, be rejected by jobs right then and there.

Alright, what the fuck am I doing tomorrow? He narrated to himself. Adam flipped open the booklet to the first job offer.

 _Join me and my party as we search for the lost city of Zanaris._ Adam smirked, the job didn’t exactly pay well but the thought of discovering a lost city certainly perked his interests. He tried to accept the job by signing it with the pen that was chained to the booklet. The answer came immediately. The page spelled out _APPLICATION REJECTED_ before his signature was erased. 

”Damnit…” Adam cursed as he moved onto the next job offer.

_Rescue my daughter from the goblins, 10000 gp. Adam tried to accept it. APPLICATION REJECTED!_

_Guard a caravan as it travels from Varrock to Falador, 5000 gp. APPLCATION REJECTED!_

_Treasure hunt in the Wilderness, equal shares. APPLICATION REJECTED!_

“Son of a bitch!” Adam hissed through his teeth. He nearly pounded the table with his fist before stopping himself, not wanting to scare Tanner.

Page after page, Adam went through the book, being rejected by every offer due to his criminal record. It was both exhausting and frustrating. He felt like a fool, the giant man in the corner booth with his back arched over the booklet as he held the tiny pen in his hand, desperately signing every offer he saw, constantly being rejected. How was he going to feed himself like this? How was he going to afford to feed his cat?

Fed up, Adam set the pen down and slammed the booklet shut.

Tanner looked up at Adam, worried.

Adam looked down at Tanner. “Don’t worry, you won’t go hungry, I’ll think of something…” He said to the tiny hellcat.

Adam turned his attention to the other adventurers in the guild hall. The center of the hall was dominated by a long table where the guildmaster would sit along with his closest friends and regulars. There were also many smaller, round tables that were placed about the hall and could sit three or four people at the most. These tables were first come first serve but they were mostly used by adventurers to sit with their party and discuss their next quest. Solo adventurers were better suited to booths but there weren’t really any rules.

A party of about five young adventurers approached the round table closest to Adam. There was already somebody sitting there. A lone champion was sitting at the table with mostly his back to Adam. Even from where he was sitting Adam could tell that the champion in the chair was quite overweight. The champion was wearing a tricorne hat and a dark purple coat that stretched and strained from the man’s size. He had a rune scimitar in a scabbard strapped to his belt, the handle of which pressed against the side of the champion’s large body. The man was preoccupied with carefully signing his name on a job offer from the booklet on his table to notice the party approaching him. He had a sort of spring in his motions as he filled out the application and tore the job offer from the booklet.

The party of adventurers approaching the table stopped and stared the lone champion down. A tough looking kid in the middle of the formation slammed his hands on the table. The loud noise made even Adam flinch. The fat champion jumped and held onto his hat as he looked up at the party.

Adam narrowed his eyes and held Tanner in his hands. 

“Hey, Tuna!” The kid said. “What the hell are you doing here? Thought I told you to fuck off last week.” He must have been the party leader.

The man sitting down looked around worriedly at the party. “I… I was just getting some dinner and a new quest for tomorrow!” He stuttered.

The party leader shook his head. “You’re always getting dinner, Tuna.” He laughed with the other members of his party. Then he walked past his fellow party members and closer to the overweight man. He knocked Tuna’s tricorne hat off his head and continued to laugh.

Tuna just sat there and looked down at the table, shaking his head.

The kid slammed his hands on the table again. People at the long table began looking over their shoulders at the commotion. 

Tuna continued to say nothing, kept looking down and shaking his head hoping the bullies would leave.  
“Go get your hat Tuna…” The kid uttered tauntingly.

Tuna did nothing. He clenched his job offer in his hand.

One of the other party members grabbed the job offer from Tuna and handed it to the leader.

Tuna looked up and tried to reach and grab it back but was held down by two party members.

The leader read the job offer out loud for his party members and the growing audience in the guild. “Help the cook in Lumbridge castle carry cakes to a wedding at the church!” He laughed. “That damn cook is gonna need to hire another adventurer to stop you from eating the damn cakes!”

There was a roar of laughter from the party of five along with a few of the champion’s sitting at the long table. The party leader held the job offer high out of Tuna’s reach as he basked in the guild’s approval.

Suddenly, a large green hand grabbed the party leader by the wrist and tugged it down. The kid was spun around by his arm to face a massive green man with a scruffy beard who glared into his soul. Blue eyes had never looked so menacing.

“What the hell is the matter with you?” Adam grunted as he squeezed harder on the party leader’s grip.

The kid groaned in pain as the job offer was wrenched from his hand.

Adam pushed the kid backward and handed the job offer back to the lone champion. “Here you go, Tuna.” Adam said. “Keep it safe.”

The champion took the job offer and put it in his pocket. “Bless you, stranger!” He said graciously and slightly out of breath. The man had a small mustache on his face and large cheeks like the jowls of a bulldog, a very pudgy one. He looked around Adam’s age, maybe a year or so older. “My name isn’t actually Tuna though, it’s Adder.”

His brow lowered, Adam turned back to the party leader. He narrowed his eyes with his mouth ajar in an expression of anger and confusion. One eye brow was raised. “Then what the hell are you calling him Tuna for?!” He snapped at the kid.

The other party members were helping their leader upright. In seconds, the kid was back to his cocky self as though nothing had happened. He pushed his party members off him and faced Adam with his back up and his chest out. “Because,” The party leader replied to Adam’s question. “He looks like he could go for some tuna!”

A roar of laughter erupted in the room as Adam looked around in disbelief at the reaction despite stupidity of the insult. In the corner of his eye, Adam could see Valaine at her desk pinching the bridge of her nose and shaking her head.

When Adam brought his attention back to the party leader, he was met with a crossbow pointed at his face. A couple people in the guild screamed when the weapon was drawn.

Adam’s eyes shot wide open and he stepped back at the sight of the weapon. He couldn’t imagine it would have escalated to this, it was a hell of a jump from Entrana. Adam nearly fell over as he hit Adder’s table with his behind. The crossbow was a simple pistol crossbow, a one-handed weapon with a simple safety and firing mechanism. Adam eyed the crossbow for a split second before looking directly into the eyes of the young adventurer. He slowly raised his hands.

“Now, how’s about you sit back down? Or better yet, why don’t you take that red rat on your chest and get the hell out of this guild hall?” He said, motioning to Tanner strapped to Adam’s chest.

Adam looked past the crossbow and into the eyes of the party leader, not daring to take them off. He could see how, pardon the expression, green, the kid really was. “What’s your name son?” He asked as he unstrapped Tanner from his chest and passed him to Adder, all while keeping his eyes on the kid.

“David!” The kid snapped. “And don’t call me son!”

“Do you think you can pull the trigger, David?” Adam asked, coldly. 

David glared down the sights of the crossbow and into Adam’s blue eye. “You think I’ve never killed a man at point blank before, boy? I’m a goddamn champion!”

“I believe you!” Adam replied. “But did you kill them with the safety on?” He asked with a smirk.

The young adventurer’s eyes shot wide open as he looked down at the safety lever on his crossbow. He reached to flick it and release the safety.

In the half second that David wasn’t watching, Adam dashed forward and grabbed David by the arm holding the crossbow. He then flipped the boy over his shoulder, taking the crossbow from him in the process.

Everyone in the guild was watching at this point. Some people in the crowd screamed, others laughed and cheered at the display. Adam swore he could hear at least one person shout “Bull is back!”.

David crashed hard on the floor, making no effort to break his fall. “Fuck you!” He wheezed from his winded lungs.

Adam pinned the young man down with his legs and watched the other party members flee out the door. Somebody had just come in and was nearly run over by the fleeing teenagers. Adam didn’t notice who it was in the brief second when he was looking.

Unhooking the safety lever, Adam got up and pointed the crossbow at David. “Never, ever, take your eyes off your opponent when there’s weapons involved! You’re gonna get yourself killed out there in the field!” Adam scolded.

There was total silence in the hall as everyone watched Adam pointing the crossbow at David on the floor.

Suddenly, the room was filled with the sound of boots running down the stairs. Everyone in the guild looked to the top of the stairs. Adder with Tanner, David on the floor, the guildmaster and the guests at his table, all of them looked up at the stairs. All except for Adam, Adam didn’t take his eyes off the sights of the crossbow.

A young male voice shouted from the stairs. “I’m no longer a virgin!”

There was more silence, nobody knew what to say while someone was pointing a crossbow at another person in the same room. Everything had happened so fast it was difficult to process it all.

Adam bit his bottom lip. He used his free hand to slap the forearm of the arm holding the crossbow to simulate clapping all while keeping the crossbow pointed at David on the ground.

Adder looked around awkwardly and set Tanner down before clapping along with Adam. Then one by one, guildmembers all over the room began applauding the couple at the stairs.

In the midst of the applause, Adam was grabbed by two men from behind and slammed onto an empty table. He struggled and groaned as he tried to pull himself free from the grip of the two men. They were Varrock guards.

“I never thought I’d see you again, Bull.” A familiar voice remarked from out of view. It was Captain Rovin of the Varrock castle guard. “You okay, son?”

“I mean I’d prefer if I wasn’t pinned to a table but…”

“Not you!” Rovin snapped, still out of view.

Adam could hear David cough and wheeze.

“That crazy son of a bitch tried to kill me!” David shouted.

“I wasn’t gonna kill you, you little fucking liar!” Adam grunted from the table.

“Shut up, Bull!” Rovin snapped again.

“Don’t call me Bull!” Adam demanded from the table.

David continued. “He pointed a crossbow at me!”

Suddenly, Adam was dragged off the table and onto his knees on the floor.

Rovin got on one knee and grabbed Adam by the jaw. “Is what this boy said true, Bull?”

Adam growled as he tried to pull himself free. “I’m not the Bull!” He hissed through clenched teeth.

Captain Rovin, with his hand still gripping Adam’s jaw, wrenched his head to look him in the eye. “Answer my question!” He spat.

Adam glared at the bald, mustachioed sneer of Captain Rovin. “It was self defense, he pulled it on me first!”

“That’s bullshit!” Rovin snapped.

“It’s the truth!”

Rovin shouted in Adam’s ear. “Do you have any idea how hard that is to believe?”

Adam went limp, he didn’t want to go to jail again. “I don’t know what else to tell you, Rovin.”

The captain stood up. “Just try to look at things in my shoes, I come here with my boys after a long day and the first thing I see when I open the fucking door is four fucking teenagers running for their lives and what are they running from? Well lo and behold it’s Roland McCleod’s personal killing machine pointing a fucking crossbow at a fucking twelve-year-old!” His voice grew louder and madder every word he spoke.

“I’m twenty-one…” David muttered.

“Shut up!” Rovin snapped at the young adventurer before turning back to Adam. “They told me you died in prison.”

Adam raised his head and looked at Rovin. “The Bull did die in prison, Rovin. That’s not me anymore, I’ve changed. This was self-defense, the kid pulled the crossbow on me first. Ask anyone!”

Rovin scoffed and nodded. He put his tongue in his cheek as he looked around the room. “Anyone here wanna vouch for the fucking Bull? This guy killed one hundred and four people! I’ve fucking hanged cunts for failing to kill one and this piece of shit’s on fucking one hundred and four!”

There was silence, most of the guild look at Adam in disgust. Many of them had only seen Adam when he attacked David.

“Um, excuse me Captain…” A sheepish voice spoke up.

Adam looked up to see Adder raising his hand. He was holding Tanner again with his other hand.

“I can vouch for him, Captain Rovin. He’s telling the truth.”

Rovin groaned and rolled his eyes. “Adder, shut the fuck up… Can anyone a little more trustworthy than this fat fuck vouch for the Bull?”

Adder sunk into his chair.

“Don’t look at me.” The young man at the stairs said. Rovin wasn’t looking at him at all. “I was getting laid.” The young witch beside him socked him in the arm.

Rovin turned to the guildmaster. 

The guildmaster shrugged dishonestly. “I didn’t see anything, Captain. I was just talking to these sweet ladies here and I heard someone fall over.” He smirked at Adam.

“Yeah, I bet you were…” Rovin hissed. “Well, that’s that.” He motioned to the guards.

Adam grimaced and the two guards holding his arms pulled him upright.

Rovin pulled his sword out of its sheath. 

“Wait!” A female voice called.

Adam looked up, it was Valaine.

“He’s telling the truth.” Valaine called out as she ran from her desk. “These boys were shouting at each other and the kid here drew his crossbow. Adam was just defending himself and his friend.”

Adam looked at Valaine and then to Adder. Then he looked at David, the boy’s jaw had dropped.

Rovin groaned and motioned for the guards to let go of Adam and grab David.

Before the guards could reach him, David was out the door and halfway down the road to the city. “One day I’ll fucking end you, Bull, you too, Tuna!” He shouted as he ran.

Captain Rovin sighed as he watched his men run out the door and leave him alone in the guild.

Adam picked up the crossbow and unloaded it.

Rovin turned around and grabbed Adam’s collar as he pulled him close. Rovin was only a tad over five feet tall but could feel like the biggest man in the room with the way he acted and spoke. “If you fuck up, even once, I’ll be there, mark my words.” He hissed into Adam’s face. Rovin was so close that Adam could feel the force from the air as he spat out each word from under his mustache. He let Adam go. “I’m gonna need that crossbow as evidence, by the way…”

“What happens to the kid?” Adam asked as he handed Rovin the crossbow and bolt.

Rovin scoffed. “Assuming my boys can find him, he’ll spend the night at the outpost and then we’ll drag him home to his parents. But you… if I catch you trying to kill anyone in MY city so help me Saradomin you’ll be handing before the fucking corpse hits the ground!”

“I don’t kill people anymore…”

The captain laughed. “Good one!” He snarked as he smacked Adam on the back, nearly taking him off balance.

Rovin passed by Adder. “So these fucks call you Tuna, huh? As in you look like you could go for some Tuna?” He laughed as he smacked the table, scaring both Adder and Tanner. “That’s amazing!” He said as he turned and walked out the door. 

Soon after Rovin shut the door behind him, the regular chatter of the guild picked up again. 

Adam ordered another whisky to calm down from the ordeal. Then he walked back to the table where Adder was enjoying a grilled chicken and caesar salad while Tanner snuggled by the candlelight.

Adam reached down on the ground and picked up Adder’s hat that was still lying behind him. He fixed it up nicely and put the hat back on Adder’s head.

Adder reached up and felt the hat. “Oh!” He smiled at Adam.

Adam motioned to a chair to ask if he could have a seat.

“Of course!” Adder proclaimed with a mouth full of lettuce. He drank a gulp of his red wine as Adam pulled up a chair and sat at the table with him.

Tanner wobbled over to Adam and nuzzled against his hands. 

“Thanks a lot for everything just there.” Adder said. “You didn’t have to go through all that trouble. The name’s Adder Coleman!” The man reached out a chubby hand to shake.

Adam shook the man’s hand. “A pleasure, I’m Adam Neeson.” He smiled. “And don’t worry about it, this guild, hell this whole city is just a bunch of show ponies!”

“Mhmm!” Adder grunted as he ate another pile of salad. “Forgive me, I missed lunch.”

Adam laughed. “Trust me, I’ve been there!” 

“That stuff Rovin said, is that true?” Adder asked as he took another sip of his wine.

“True to the past…” Adam reluctantly replied. He scratched Tanner behind the ears. “Not so much to the present. A lot’s happened since then that he doesn’t know about. I’m not the person he thinks I am.”

Adder nodded understandingly. “Trying to move on huh?”

“That’s right.” Adam replied. “In fact, I’m looking at moving up in the guilds!”

“Ohh you’re trying to become a hero?” Adder asked, intrigued.

Adam nodded. “I’m looking for a partner for the practical exam, if you’re interested.”

Adder shook his head. “Oh I’m not ready for that kind of thing just yet.” He chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Good luck on it though!”

Adam’s shoulders sank but he still nodded. “Thanks. So, what’s your story?”

“Mmm!” Adder grunted as he finished the last of his dinner. “Well I’m from this city, born and raised in the north east side of town.”

“The rich end!” Adam exclaimed with a playful smile.

“Yes, well, my dad was a successful craftsman, back when crafting was still profitable, nowadays you wind up spending more on the materials than you get out of anything you make.”

Adam nodded. He never really understood economics, but he could kind of follow the logic on that.

Adder continued. “Well I joined the city guard a couple years ago, that’s how I know Captain Rovin. I thought the training and guard lifestyle would help me lose weight, but then I got caught eating one of the queen’s cupcakes. I was fired on the spot and nearly thrown in prison!”

“We’ve all got our vices…” Adam said in a deep tone as he took another sip of his whiskey.

Adder sighed. “Yes well, that’s why Captain Rovin doesn’t like me very much.”

Adam laughed. “I don’t think Captain Rovin likes humanity very much!”

Adder smirked and shrugged. “Maybe so… Well anyway after I was kicked from the castle guard, I attended Tutorial Island and became an adventurer. Maybe I’ll move on to the Heroes’ guild at some point, but I don’t think I’m good enough at combat for that quite yet.”

“You’ve got a nice scimitar there for somebody who doesn’t like combat.” Adam pointed out.

“Oh that?” Adder motioned to the rune scimitar at his belt. “It was my father’s I inherited it when he died, he smithed it himself out of runite from the wilderness!”

Adam smiled.

“You men mind if I sit down?” A female voice said.

The two turned to see Valaine pulling up a chair. 

“Um… Go right ahead!” Adder replied awkwardly. Valaine was already seated before Adder had said anything.

Adam spoke up. “Miss Valaine, thanks for…”

“Don’t mention it.” She interrupted him. “Besides, there was something I wanted to give you and you’re no good to me dead or in prison.”

“…Charming.” Adder remarked as he finished off his wine.

Adam chuckled. “What is it, Miss Valaine?”

“Have you found a job for tomorrow yet?” Valaine asked Adam. 

“No…” Adam sighed. “Not yet, I’m probably going to have to do manual labour again.”

“No you wont!” Valaine said triumphantly. “Have you considered bounty hunting?”

Adder’s eyebrows raised and he waved his finger at Adam. “Oh, you’d be good at that, Adam!”

Adam shook his head no. “Sorry Miss, but I don’t kill people.”

“You don’t have to!” Adder corrected him, shaking his head. “You can just bring them in hogtied or bound! When I worked as a guard, adventurers would bring in bounties all the time! In fact, they’re often worth more alive!”

“Tuna’s right!” Said Valaine.

Adder narrowed his eyes at the woman.

“If you bring in your bounty alive, you can get three times, sometimes four times the reward!” Valaine continued. “Plus, doing some work for the law will go a long way in getting your Heroes’ guild application approved.”

Adam bit his bottom lip.

“Here’s the target, don’t worry, I’ve already guaranteed that it won’t reject you. All you have to do is sign.” Valaine said as she placed an envelope on the table and slid it to Adam.

“Open it up!” Adder said excitedly.

Adam shrugged and opened the envelope. He pulled out the job offer and unfolded it. 

Valaine looked at Adam as though he was opening a Christmas present from her.

“No…” He whispered as he read the job offer.

_WANTED: Richard Fist, Crime: Murder, Arson, Robbery, Former member of The McCleods, now the leader of his own gang in northern Asgarnia, REWARD: 100k Dead, 350k Alive._

“Who is it?” Adder asked, leaning forward.

“An old brother…” Adam muttered. “Richard Fist, his accent was like mine, he always said he came from out west, we were in the same gang. Everyone else in the McCleods talked like a barbarian, but we were different, so we stuck together.”

“Are you gonna take it?” Valaine asked. “That’s a really good bounty.”

Adam thought for a moment. “Richard… Yeah I’ll take it.” He ruffled Tanner’s fur. “For you, little man.” The kitten purred.

Adder and Valaine exchanged a high five.

“Adder, are you in on this?” Adam asked.

Adder shook his head and chuckled. “It’s all you friend. Besides, I’ve already got a job for tomorrow!” He pulled the job offer from his pocket.

“Right, right.” Adam remembered. “Well, good luck to you. And thank you very much Miss Valaine. I’m off for the night.”

“Goodnight, friend.” Adder said. “Meet me here in the morning before you head out, I’ll lend you some rope and a good pair of boots!”

Adam nodded. “Thank you kindly!”

“You’re going already?” Valaine asked. “It’s not even ten!”

Adam picked up Tanner and put him in the snuggly. “The cat gets cranky if we stay out too late.”

Tanner meowed at Valaine.

Adam waved goodbye one more time and headed out the door. Things were beginning to turn up for him. That was as long as he could actually take Richard in. The thought of his old life crept into his mind as he walked home.


End file.
